Miracula sanctorum Waldeberti et Eustasii was most likely written by Adso of Montier-en‑Der in the middle of the 10th century, in order to create and propagate the worship of St. Waldebert as the patron of the Luxeuil Abbey. The following article — on the basis of a textual analysis of Miracula… — aims at investigating the genesis of the worship of the relics of St. Waldebert as well as its role and significance for Luxeuil. The monastery, similarly to other abbeys in the Carolingian domain, fell into disrepair as a result of the Norman conquests and the weakening of the royal authority in the face of the rise of local nobility. Moreover, it was at that time that knighthood became recognized as an estate of the realm, while their landed estates continued to be expanded at the expense of the clergy. This, in turn, forced the monks to single‑handedly attempt to reclaim the prestige of the monastery; thus, they created the worship of St. Waldebert, the third abbot of the abbey, who lived in the 7th century. The text written by Adso was to introduce the genesis of the worship, describing his pious life and services to the abbey, as well as encourage people to undertake pilgrimages to his sanctuary. Adso, in his descriptions of the punishments that await those who would persecute the servants of St. Waldebert as well as the miraculous recoveries that await those who worship him, attempted to create a moral example for the worshippers to follow. The worship, which remained of paramount importance to the monks, was also directed at the emerging knighthood. Adso created the image of St. Waldebert as a patron of knights, emphasizing the fact that before his monastic conversion, he had represented the ideal of the Christian knight, miles Christi, and that after his death, he extended his protection to knights and listened to their prayers. Thus, St. Waldebert was to become the patron saint of knights as well as a moral example, in order to force them to accept the superiority of the clergy and treat the estates belonging to the Catholic Church with due reverence. The worship of the relics of St. Waldebert constitutes an example of the early attempts at monastic reform and improving the position and status of the clergy.

The article considers the problem of Agatha’s, the wife of Edward the Exile, ancestry. The author analyzes a different version of the Agatha’s ancestry in a context of internal policy of Yaroslav the Wise, who was the guardian of her husband. The debate about Agatha’s origin continues, but the author concludes that the German theory of descent for Agatha has better evidence base in the context of Yaroslav the Wises foreign policy.

Iceland of the 11th century was characterized by a unique political and legal organization compared to Europe. There was no central or territorial executive authority, either secular or clerical. The tithe, introduced in 1096, was the first regular tax in Iceland. It had a decisive impact on changes in the organization of the local church. In addition, it initiated significant changes in the functioning of the Icelandic community, which gradually lost its anachronistic character and increasingly began to resemble other European communities. The article's author tries to answer a number of relevant questions in this context: what role did the Icelandic Church play in adapting a new view of power and its functioning? How were these changes illustrated by the new elite approach among Icelandic settlers to law enforcement? Finally, why, given the political upheaval on the island that these changes entailed, did subordination to the King of Norway prove to be the only just solution?

Niniejszy artykuł stawia sobie za cel zbadanie roli, jaką odgrywa pojęcie honoru w trzynastowiecznej islandzkiej Sadze o Egilu (skomponowanej w przybliżeniu w latach 1220—1240). Analizie poddane są teoretyczne oraz historiograficzne zapiski dotyczące pojmowania honoru, zarówno w sensie ogólnym, jak i w kontekście islandzkiego średniowiecza. Ponadto, autor analizuje występujące w sadze słownictwo związane z honorem, by na jego podstawie wyodrębnić jej bohaterów, którzy mogliby służyć za przykład honoru. Z kolei w ostatniej części artykułu podjęto dialog z pojęciem honoru pojmowanym jako towar i zaproponowano alternatywne odczytanie jego znaczenia. W tym ujęciu honor przyrównany jest do niezbywalnego bogactwa, autor zaś udowadnia swoją hipotezę za pomocą krótkiej analizy jednej ze scen sagi.

This article aims to explore the similarities, both textually and conceptually, between the Jómsvíkinga saga and Harðar saga ok Hólmverja. Although the works share many differences (they belong to separate genres and were written in different places and times), one cannot help but notice that they share a literary motif that is unusual for sagas: the establishment of alternative communities governed by their laws, lög þeirra. After a brief overview of the critical reception of both works, both in the world of history and literary studies, the author of the article focuses on a comparative analysis of the two communities depicted in the texts - Jómsborg, located at the mouth of the Oder River in the Baltic Sea, and Iceland's Geirshólmr - to show how an elite Viking army made its way to Iceland's Hvalfjörður, thus abandoning an armed stronghold in favor of a natural stronghold. The article reveals the reasons for this expedition, interpreting it through the lens of the characters of kings appearing in both works, as well as concepts such as kinship and leadership. The article's conclusions confirm that the motifs contained in the Jómsvíkinga saga constitute the worldview of the Icelanders.

The following article constitutes an attempt at a study of the phenomenon of the human curiosity of the world, which underwent considerable changes in the Middle Ages, manifesting in different forms. The author analyses the worldview of one of the most active participants and creators of the Renaissance of the 12th century, Walter Map (c. 1130—c. 1209/1210), a long‑time courtier at the court of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. His position at the royal court allowed Map to frequently travel all over Europe, both as part of the royal retinue, and on his own, facilitation the creation of his only written work, De nugis curialium, which contains his thoughts and observations from his journeys. A thorough analysis of those observations and description of the characteristics of their subjects allow, in turn, to expand the general knowledge concerning the human curiosity of the world at the height of the Middle Ages.

This article is devoted to unexplored episodes of participation to the duke of Principality of Galicia‑Volynia Lev Danilovycz in the struggle for the throne of Cracow in the 1280—1300 years. After unsuccessful attempt to act as the successor of his childless brother‑in‑law Boleslav V in 1280, what become a result of the war against the duke of Cracow Leszek the Black to his death in 1288, Lev Danilovycz continued to take part in this fight by supporting favorable for him applicants. Then in 1289—1290 the land of the Lublin was attached, what was accepted by Duke of the Cracow Henry IV Probus. Latin source and contemporany polish literature are widely used in the research.

The attempt at overthrowing Bolesław V the Chaste as the High Duke of Poland and appointing Władysław of Opole to the throne of Cracow in 1273 has remained a contentious matter of discussion among historians. The article, therefore, aims at revisiting the underlying causes of the revolt and the reasons for the nobility’s support of Władysław. Moreover, the author attempts to analyze the theories regarding the supporters and opponents of Bolesław V the Chaste. In the past, the prevailing theory behind the reasons for the revolt focused exclusively on Bolesław’s foreign policy. According to that theory, the nobles were dissatisfied with Bolesław’s support for his father‑in‑law, Bela IV, with regard to the conflict between Bohemia and Hungary that concerned the Babenberg legacy. However, there is little proof to support that hypothesis as one of the reasons for the revolt against Bolesław. Similarly, the fact that Leszek the Black was designated as Bolesław’s heir to the throne of Cracow should not be treated as a cause of the revolt. On the other hand, the theory that the revolt was caused by Bolesław’s domestic policies has been thus far disregarded for the most part. Nonetheless, there existed multiple potential sources for conflict and civil unrest, such as Bolesław’s policy on salt and his attempts at removing hitherto powerful families (Gryfici, Odrowążowie) from any significant positions of power. It is, thus, possible to enumerate several incentives for treason among the representatives of the two families. At the same time, it should be mentioned that the efforts to dethrone Bolesław should not be equaled with unanimous solidarity among the noble families. Among those involved in the revolt, it is easier to name those who remained loyal to rightful ruler; on the other hand, those who supported Władysław of Opole are more difficult to identify. However, it should be mentioned that the Topór family did most probably not lead the revolt, and the role of the Bishop of Cracow, Paweł of Przemanków also remains unclear.

The author discusses the issue of the relationship between the Cistercian abbeys and the borderlands understood as the land located along the border, at the frontier between different settlement spheres, e.g. settled and unsettled land, or in the vicinity of state borders. Moreover, the author seeks to answer the question concerning the strong emphasis on the civilizing mission present in a poem by a monk from Lubiąż. In his discussion of the foundation process with regard to the Cistercian Order in Hungary, Bohemia and Poland, the author concludes that there exists considerable amount of information concerning the process of obtaining unsettled land by the Cistercians. He enumerates the following abbeys regarded as exceptional centers of expansion: Heiligenkreuz, Zirc, Szentgotthárd, Cârţa (Kerc), Spišský Štiavnik (Savnik), Plasy, Pomuk, Osek, Nížkov, Žďár, Vyšši Brod, Zlata Koruna, Velehrad, Vizovice, Lubiąż, Wąchock, Henryków, Kamieniec Ząbkowicki, Rudy, Doberlug, Zemsko, Ludźmierz. Moreover, he emphasizes the significance of woodlands among all the lands granted to the Order. The forest, as a place of seclusion and wilderness, plays an important role in the Cistercian ideals; however, there exist numerous examples of vigorous colonization of forests by the Order. As the author notes, the fact that the Lubiąż Abbey was granted and accepted vast areas of woodland in six different locations (seven thousand fiefs total) was not dictated by the necessity of ensuring the abbey’s survival. On the contrary, the underlying reason was the desire for further expansion and the construction of new monasteries. Those successes, in turn, helped to construct the myth of the significant role of the Cistercians as the colonizers of the borderlands. In the case of Lubiąż, the myth was further strengthened by the existence of the famous cell abbeys founded in the 13th century.

The article proposes a new, distinct perspective on the early history of Będzin which differs significantly from the earlier approaches. The starting point for the following study is the record of the name of a neighboring village of Będzin, Małobądz, which can be translated to Little Będzin or Old Będzin. It is, therefore, possible to assume that the land on both banks of river Czarna Przemsza constituted, in fact, one settlement. Thus, the name „Będzin” encompassed that entire territory. According to the proposed hypothesis, the initial settlement was established on the right bank of river Czarna Przemsza, on the land belonging to the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz. That first village, named Będzin (later: Małobądz), was initially mentioned in official documents in the year 1301, and in the 13th century, it received a charter (settlement with German law). Moreover, the first mentions of a church built in that area date back to 1308, and the chapel of St. Dorothy, located in Małobądz and mentioned by the official documents in 1522, could constitute one of the remnants of the first church in Będzin. The article dates the first settlement on the left bank of river Czarna Przemsza back to the first half of the 14th century. Initially, there was a castle built in the place of the early medieval wooden castle, likely due to the efforts of Vladislaus the Elbow-high, and it was later remodeled and expanded under Casimir the Great. In addition, due to the efforts of Casimir the Great, a city was settled in the vicinity of the castle (exactly: under the castle, Latin: sub castro) prior to 1358, located on unoccupied land and designed to compete economically with the settlements on the right bank of Czarna Przemsza, particularly the town of Czeladź. This decision of Casimir the Great can be, in turn, interpreted as a compensation for the terms of the Treaty of Namslau in 1348, which dispelled any remaining hope of returning Silesia to the Kingdom of Poland.

The history of creation and development of the network of parishes is without a doubt one of the key topics in the research devoted to the social life of Polish local societies in the Middle Ages. The Diocese of Wrocław in the region of Silesia is no different. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the diocese witnessed a rapid development of the Church hierarchy and infrastructure. The southern part of the diocese, encompassing the archdeaconry of Opole, has been the subject of research for decades. The topic of the beginnings of the aforementioned network remains closely connected with the earliest settlements of the Upper Silesia, including Koźle. Even though Koźle was first founded at the turn of the 11th century, it is impossible to recreate the Church hierarchy which could be traced back to pre‑ charter origins. Despite the struggles of the historians, 12th century constitutes a peculiar pastoral emptiness. It was only the 13th century that brought rapid changes. In the second half of the century, numerous churches were established in the local settlements, which finds its reflection in the written sources. Koźle, despite the unclear beginnings of the oldest parish organization, became the seat of the archpresbyterate. By the end of the 14th century, it had achieved its final form, and that state remained unchanged until Reformation. The only exception to that is a local chapel of ease, dating back to the 15th century, while the history of the next church dates back to the times of Reformation.

The following article aims at correcting the existing historiographical records regarding the genealogy of the Chodecki Family of the Ogon coat of arms. The author claims that the Treasurer of the Crown Andrzej Miłośnik of Lubin, Umień and Chocz, the ancestor of the Chodecki family of the Ogon coat of arm; the starost of Halych Land Mikołaj Parawa; and Jakub Kuropłoch of Burzenin were not the sons of Andrzej of Lubin, the pantler of Dobrzyń, but rather they were the sons of Dobiesław of Lubin and Umień, the judge of Dobrzyń. Piotr of Górki and Lubin was, in turn, their eldest brother and thus the judge’s first‑born son. Moreover, Dobiesław of Umień and Lubin, the Lesser Standard‑bearer of Dobrzyń; Marcin of Umień, the Deputy District Judge of Łęczyca; Paweł of Umień; and Elżbieta, wife to the Castellan of Sandomierz, Klemens Wątróbka of Strzelce. There can be no doubt that judge Dobiesław was married twice. His children from the first marriage included: Piotr of Górki and Lubin, Andrzej Miłośnik, Mikołaj Parawa, and Jakub Kuropłoch. His second wife, Świętochna, the widow of Mikołaj of Tumusin, bore Dobiesław three children: Dobiesław, Marcin, and Paweł. His daughter Elżbieta, in turn, was born most probably as a result of his short relationship that took place between the death of his first wife and his marriage to Świętosława. However, since Elżbieta could have been born of Świętosława, it is impossible to disregard that possibility. In addition, “Andrzej of Lubin of the Ogon coat of arms,” the pantler of Dobrzyń between 1402—1414 appears to be a fictional person, who has been commonly confused with Andrzej of Starorypin, a brother to Jan Rasz; Eberhard, the rector of Rypin; and Piotr of Bieganów.

The article focuses on analyzing the process of installing princely power in the urban space of Lviv in the second half of the 14th century. It examines how the presence of supreme power was symbolically and institutionally marked in the city in the context of the integration of Red Ruthenia into the Kingdom of Poland after 1349. Particular attention is given to examining the castle's role as a place of physical and symbolic rooting of the new power and the relationship between the royal administration and the urban community. The article outlines the monarch's representatives' process of taking over Lviv's space, particularly emphasizing the royal chancellery, the judiciary, the tax system, and the offices. The role of church foundations, particularly the Dominican Monastery and the Latin Cathedral, as instruments of symbolic power and tools of cultural influence is highlighted. The author also analyzes how royal authority adapted to the local structures and how local elites were integrated into the administrative and social system. The tensions that arose at the interface between the new and old orders and the mechanisms for alleviating them are also presented. The article provides an essential voice in the discussion of methods of governance in medieval cities at the boundary of cultures and political traditions, highlighting the importance of urban space as an arena of competition and compromise between the center and the periphery.

The article discusses the role of Casimir Jagiellon's itinerary in studying his reign and the functioning of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland in the second half of the 15th century. Casimir's long reign was a watershed period, mainly because of the personal union of the two states, which led to a deepening of the differences between them. In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the separatist aspirations of the Lithuanian and Ruthenian boyars became increasingly strong, which fostered the emergence of a landed class and increased the sense of separation from the Crown. In foreign policy, Casimir sought to continue eastern expansion, but the successes of Ivan III, including the capture of Novgorod in 1478, shook Lithuania's position. Reconstructing Casimir's travel itineraries (itinerarium) allows us to understand how political needs influenced the ruler's practice of staying in different parts of the state. Chancellery documents, narrative sources, and previous research make it possible to reconstruct travel routes and analyze their significance. The publication under review in the text makes a new contribution to the study of Casimir Jagiellon's itinerary, surpassing previous studies in accuracy, critical approach to sources, and breadth of coverage.

The reviewed monograph written by Wioletta Zawitkowska is an attempt to provide a comprehensive account of the political struggle for the succession to the throne after Władysław Jagiełło, focusing on the years 1422-1434. The author reveals the behind-the-scenes efforts of the royal couple - Władysław Jagiełło and Zofia Holszańska - to secure the succession to their sons, Władysław and Kazimierz, despite severe political, dynastic and religious obstacles. The book presents the actions of Jagiello and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas, who supported him, in the context of internal rivalry with the political elite of the Polish Kingdom, especially with the camp centered around the Bishop of Cracow Zbigniew Oleśnicki. The work also touches on Polish-Lithuanian relations, revealing tensions arising from different understandings of the union of the two states: the Poles leaned toward incorporation, and the Lithuanians opted for equivalence. The author also reconstructs Vytautas' attempt to crown Vytautas, king of Lithuania, as an element of political blackmail against the Polish nobility. Zawitkowska presents Sophia Holshanskaya as an active participant in dynastic politics, revising earlier assessments of her role. However, the reviewer points out the work's shortcomings: insufficient polemics with contemporary historiography, lack of methodological precision, fragmentary use of sources, and incomplete consideration of alternative interpretations, especially the studies of Jerzy Sperka and Janusz Kurtyka. Nevertheless, the monograph brings new insights into the complex political game in the declining period of Jagiello's reign.

The reviewed monograph written by Ilona Matejko-Peterka is a groundbreaking study of the iconography of the seals of the Dukes of Legnica and Brest from 1242-1675, the result of thorough sfragistic research. The author, departing from the traditional approach to seals as mere office tools, treats them as carriers of ideological messages and tools for building the image of power. The work focuses on analyzing the symbolic content of seals, their representational function, and the evolution of iconography against the background of political, cultural, and social changes. Although the review points out minor terminological and editorial inaccuracies, such as erroneous heraldic names or ambiguities in recording archival signatures, this does not undermine the substantive value of the work. On the contrary, the monograph has been recognized as an essential contribution to the development of Polish statistics, the history of heraldry, and the study of symbolic communication of power. It also is a critical source for researchers of the history of Silesia and the Piast dynasty. The publication was awarded the Adam Heymowski Prize, which confirms its high scientific level and importance in the historical community.

The article is a review of an edition of an account book bearing reference number 21 from the Royal Accounts ensemble held at the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw. The edition, compiled by Czech researcher Petr Kozák and Hungarian historian Krisztina Rábai, documents the composition of the court of the prince and then King Sigismund I Jagiellon between 1493 and 1510. It includes 329 pages and contains named lists of 168 so-called mounted courtiers and other court functionaries. Notes in Latin inform about the date of admission to service, the number of horses, the amount and dates of payment of the so-called "digest," and changes in the number of posts. The introduction preceding the edited source, written in Czech and English, includes an analysis of the manuscript's political context and physical characteristics. The editors kept footnotes to a minimum, dispensing with personal and factual explanations, which the reviewer considers a significant shortcoming. Also missing is a deeper identification of localities and terms appearing in the source. Despite the formal imperfections, the publication is valuable for researchers of the Jagiellonian era, showing the personal composition of Sigismund Jagiellon's court and the daily mechanisms of its functioning. The initiative taken by foreign researchers is part of a growing interest in monarchical accounting as a basis for research into the power elites of late medieval Central Europe.

The reviewed monograph Vytautas' Heirs. Dynastic war in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 1530s by Sergey Polekhov is a comprehensive and innovative study of the political conflict that unfolded in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania after the death of Grand Duke Vytautas in 1430. The author depicts the war between Svidrigelo and Sigismund Kiejstutowicz not only as a personal clash but as a manifestation of deep political and social tensions within the elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Polekhov uses various sources - chronicles, diplomatic correspondence, documentary records - subjecting them to critical analysis. Based on the source material, he reconstructs the socio-political context, analyzes the militia's prosopography, and assesses the significance of Svidrigaila's external policy, identifying it as a key factor in his downfall. A novel aspect of the publication is its rejection of national historiographical stereotypes and its focus on the internal dynamics of WKL. The author emphasizes institutional continuity and the role of the political elite as a factor in stabilizing the state during the dynastic crisis. The book also contains numerous appendices, including itineraries of the princes, an edition of unknown sources, and a list of Svidrigiello's supporters. The work is distinguished by its high editorial level and methodological precision. It is an essential contribution to the study of the history of Central and Eastern Europe, opening up new interpretive perspectives for the analysis of political conflicts and internal transformations in medieval JCS.

The reviewed work by Marek Mika deals with the relations of the princes of Opawa and Racibórz with the Hussites in Upper Silesia in the first half of the 15th century. The author has attempted to present the policy of local rulers toward the Hussite movement, taking into account their military actions, ideological attitudes, and changing relations with the Bohemian "God fighters." The book comprises five chapters and is based mainly on written sources in Czech and Polish historical studies. Mika presents the genealogy of the Přemyslids of Opava and Racibor and discusses the development of the Hussite movement. Still, his analysis often omits important sources and studies, affecting some findings' reliability. The work contains factual errors and inaccuracies, such as incorrect dating of events and repeated passages in the text.
Nevertheless, the author correctly identified some key issues, such as the significance of the 1427 Grodno confederation or the location of the Battle of Rybnik. The book also includes a discussion of Hussite legends from the regions of present-day Silesia. Although the work deals with an important topic, it suffers from a lack of critical analysis of the literature on the subject and selective treatment of sources, which significantly affects its substantive value. The subject's potential has not been fully exploited, and the publication would have required deeper methodological reflection and greater research involvement.

The article is a detailed report on the interventional archaeological research conducted in 2015 inside the Church of St. Idzi in Cracow concerning the planned renovation and installation of under-floor heating. The research work included four soundings located within the nave and annex of the church, aiming not only to identify the state of preservation of the walls but also to verify the hypothesis of the existence of a central Gothic pillar. A fragment of the pillar's polygonal base was uncovered already in the initial phase of the research, thus confirming the existence of a single-pillar architectural layout characteristic of 14th-century Cracow churches. This discovery made it possible to assign the Church of St. Idzi to the group of Gothic temples associated with the building circle of Casimir the Great. In addition, the research revealed a usable cobblestone level from before the current church's construction, which may indicate the sacred nature of the area even earlier. However, no clear remains of an earlier church were found, although the lack of typical settlement layers and the terrain favor such a hypothesis. The findings provide a better understanding of the church's structure, its transformations over the centuries, and the spatial and functional context of the earlier establishment.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive architectural and archaeological study of the rotunda on Castle Mountain in Cieszyn, considered the best preserved early medieval church in Silesia. Despite numerous reconstructions in the 19th and 20th centuries, the building has preserved much of its original structure. The research work, conducted in 2013-2016 by the Institute of Art History of the Jagiellonian University and the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia, aimed to supplement knowledge of the rotunda and verify its dating and function. The excavations uncovered the foundations of six buttresses, which proves the existence of a Gothic phase of the object's transformation and suggests that they did not serve a structural but a decorative function. Relics of the oldest utility levels were also analyzed, including a wooden road from the 11th-12th centuries and settlement layers containing early medieval ceramics and older relics such as flint tools and fragments of the Puff culture. Based on the discoveries, a new dating of the rotunda to the mid-12th century was proposed, linking it to the period of the castellany or the establishment of the Duchy of Cieszyn. The need for further research to identify neighboring buildings with a residential function was emphasized. These conclusions are an essential contribution to the debate over the chronology and function of the rotunda and the development of early medieval Cieszyn.

The article discusses two critical publications on the Middle Ages that appeared in Romania and Moldova in 2015. The first is entitled Orient et Occident. Construction des identités en Europe médiévale, was edited by Luminiţa Diaconu and is a collection of post-conference articles. The conference, organized by the Center for Medieval Studies at the University of Bucharest, focused on the relationship between East and West in the context of identity construction from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages. Particularly noteworthy was an article by Ovidiu Cristei, analyzing the symbolism of Bogdan III's warfare in the context of his 1509 attack on Poland. The author interprets the Moldavian ruler's behavior as a symbolic declaration of war against the entire Polish Kingdom. The second publication, Dialogul civilizaţiilor. Interferenţe istorice şi culturale is a memorial book dedicated to Professor Victor Tvircun, with articles in English and Russian. It touches on civilizations' historical and cultural relations, including Polish-Moldovan contacts from antiquity to modern times. It includes texts on spirituality in Serbian literature, the role of women in medieval Georgia, and the military support of Wladyslaw Jagiello for knights fighting the Teutonic Order. Both publications are essential to studying intercultural contacts and the history of the Central and Eastern European region.